The Buzzing Box

Update: As of Battle for Azeroth's release (August 14th, 2018), we've gotten multiple bee pets. Another successful mission complete!

A long time ago, 2013 to be exact, I made a silly post on a battle pet that I would like implemented. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but eventually the little sea calf made its way into our collections. Over the years, I've seen many people request certain pets they would like, and I've even thought of a few more, but nothing enough to spark my creativity into motion. As I browsed through my Twitter timeline, I saw a request from Starcrow to the Warcraft developers for a bee battle pet. Now this was something that interested me!

We have many different types of insect like battle pets, but nothing that resembles a bee. My mind started thinking of all the honey comb nests around Pandaria. Then I remembered something about a lone little NPC that most players (even Horde) may not have ever noticed out in the old world. This poor little guy has been plagued with some insect troubles since Vanilla, and no one has even bothered to stop and help him. I think it may be time to change that.

So how would I add this pet in game? Well, our journey would take the player into the Northern Barrens and around a little area called Grol'dom Farm. You take a look around and notice that it's just another farm being attacked by the Razormane; nothing special at first glance.

You turn to leave, but out the corner of your eye you see this flash of green followed by the sound of buzzing and crying. Here the player will meet an orc child by the name of Trok who is being chased around by a swarm of bees! As Trok runs around, you can read his words in chat. He complains about the bees chasing him and then hints that bees should have stayed near the Dry Hills.

The player now has a decision to make. Do I stop for a moment and try to help this little orc or do I continue on? You decide you have nothing better to do, so you head north to investigate this bee business a little more. You head toward the Dry Hills and begin scouting around. In the area, you find an old caravan that is long forgotten. In the rubble you find a lootable bee crate that is perfect for the task.

With your bee crate in hand, you head back to Trok and are now able to talk to him. You are now prompted with text that allows you to capture the bees in the crate. Choosing this option awards the player with a Buzzing Box in their inventory, allowing the player to learn Buzz, a bee battle pet. Trok will thank you for helping him after all this time, and skips off gratefully back to the farm while you admire your new pet.

I know you may be thinking that this area isn't Alliance friendly, especially since Grol'dom Farm has low level guards around it. My solution to this is to make Trok's running path much broader so he's running in a bigger loop around the farm area so the Alliance player doesn't have to worry about being close and aggroing guards.

With Blizzard's recent love of adding puzzles for hidden mounts and things, I think this could be a neat little way to get people to the old world again. Adding an actual bee model would be interesting too because all we have currently are wasp-like and firefly models. Let's face it, most collectors love adding new and unique things to their collection, and I'm sure little Trok would be very appreciative to finally have some time to relax after all these years!

I'd love to do more of these in the future. If you have a suggestion for a battle pet, feel free to let me know in the comments below. Once again, a huge thanks to Starcrow for the inspiration for this post and allowing me to run with it! Please give them a follow, and if you want a bee battle pet, don't forget to ask nicely. Feel free to use the hashtag #SaveTrok to get this little orc some help and a bee into your collection!

A Bully In The Shadows

The following events of this blog post happened during 2007 and 2008. I was around 20 at the time, new to WoW, and I didn't have as strong of a mind as I do now. The character and real name of the person involved will not be used, and if they do happen to still follow me around the web and read this blog, just know... this isn't about you, because I don't care what you're doing these days; it's about me finally talking publicly about what happened.

Bullies suck!

It was 2007, and I started playing WoW with my boyfriend and his friends. I was also very active on Myspace at the time. My profile was private, and I only added people I knew personally or went to school with. One day I received a friend request from a guy - I shall refer to him as "S". I was good friends with his brother in school, and we had a ton of mutual friends, so I added him. Little did I know that would be a mistake that would cause me a lot of grief for almost an entire year.

Transmog Time: Illidari Conjurer

This week has been a bit crazy. I wasn't going to blog, but since things have calmed down, I had the chance to. I've been sick with a terrible cold so I haven't been doing much of anything but taking medicine and sleeping. If this post seems a bit strange, blame it on all those potions the alchemist have been making me take!

Illidari Conjurer

I am a complete sucker when it comes to those cloaks from Black Temple. I have all three and use them whenever I can. This is the first of 3 Illidari themed transmogs I planned out. I've already worn two, but I'm still working on pieces of the third. I believe I need to get exalted with the Aldors. /sigh

Helm: Amethyst Beholder Eye

Shoulders: Hatefury Mantle

Cloak: Shroud of the Highborne

Chest:  Elder's Robe

Gloves: Revelosh's Gloves

Belt: Wizard's Belt

Boots: Greenweave Sandals

Weapon: Headmaster's Charge (not available anymore, but plenty of lookalikes!) - As always, use what you want for your weapons. I think this staff looks the best though.

WoWHead Set Link

With my Eye of the Legion

I like to wear this set with the Lavender Mageweave Shirt. It's the same color as the robe so it blends in nicely. Sometimes I also wear the Purple Trophy Tabard of the Illidari also to add another layer to the transmog. The robe is so pretty that I don't always like to cover it though. The only thing missing is a Feldrake. I think it would have topped off this transmog nicely. Perhaps one day!

Meet the Alts!

You all know Velgana by now. She's my main toon, alter ego, and my most favorite WoW character. I am getting close to having a full year played on her alone. What you don't hear me talk about often is my much lesser known characters - my alts! These guys and gals always get leveled and geared up much later in an expansion, but I still try my best. While I don't think they will ever take the place of Velgana (who knows, maybe someday), I still enjoy playing on most of them almost daily. Some are even still in the process of being leveled up.

This may be one of those posts that I update in the future to keep consistent with whatever new characters I may create. Until then, click below to meet my current family!

New Neighbors and Random Things

So much to talk about this week, and I wanted to try to get it all done with before the weekend since it's Valentine's Day and my birthday (IRL)! I couldn't have asked for a better start to this week either.

Last Saturday, I decided to watch a Gold Raid that was being promoted on my Twitter. The guy hosting it, WTBGold, was also going to be giving away 2 Spectral Tiger Cubs. I get to watch some gold makers do Flex raiding and have a chance at a mini pet that I've been wanting.... SURE! Well not only did I have fun watching, but I also won one of the Cubs. I was so happy and excited to add it to my collection, and I named him in honor of the person who I won it from.

Please check out WTBGold to learn some wonderful gold making tips and tricks. You can also follow his Twitch channel too!

I have to be honest, but lately I haven't been doing much in WoW... not even leveling my Warlock alt. Maybe I will get a chance to do that this weekend. However, I have been working on mats for my Sky Golem though. I only have 15 more days to go unless my Priest gets lucky with her transmutes! After that I think I want to start on my Jewelcrafting Panthers. Those will take me a good while longer.

I had the opportunity to bring my niece and nephew to do a few old raids. They haven't been level 90 long, and just started playing WoW a few months ago. Thanks to me, they have caught the collecting bug. We ran Ulduar and Naxxrams together a few weeks ago, and had a blast. We also did some Burning Crusades and Vanilla raids. I can't wait to bring them into ICC soon!

Now onto something that I'm kinda excited for - Skywall is FINALLY getting a server merge! We're going to be getting merged with Drak'thul sometime in March I believe. I'm pretty excited, and I'm hoping they are a bit more Horde heavy than we are. I went and poke around on their Auction Houses a few days ago, but I wasn't too impressed. I don't know what I was expecting to find on there. Regardless, I can't wait get a chance to interact with some new people. If you see me around, throw a wave my way!

YAY! Server merge!

Blizzard also announced this week that they will be saying goodbye to their Scroll of Resurrection program. I can understand why, but what about all those poor unclaimed mounts people have? I feel like they should at least let us redeem them and toss them to some friends that didn't get a chance to get one. I personally feel bad knowing that I have some unclaimed mounts and there's nothing I can do about it. RIP Spectral Gryphon and Spectral Wind Rider.

4 unclaimed mounts. :(

Finally, Love is in the Air is here again. I have never got lucky with getting the Big Love Rocket, but I am remaining optimistic this year! This is the first year that I'm able to run it on my alts. Out of my 4 level 90s, I'm running the holiday boss on 3. So far I haven't gotten anything that is special... not even an extra Toxic Wasteling to hoard onto! I still have quite a few days left so maybe I will get something good in that time. For now I leave you all with lots of love and thanks to everyone who follows me on Twitter and takes time to read my posts here. You are all special; Love you all!

Journey to Tier 3

Sadly, I was not around to raid original Naxx. If you've read previous entries, you should know how I feel about the gear that dropped there... some of my favorites. While I am happy that most of the original weapons made an appearance back into the WotLK version of Naxx, I am still not happy about the lack of some of the beautiful robes from there. However, I do feel that the Frostfire Regalia is one of the most beautiful mage sets ever made!

from WoWwiki

I know it's not fair to those who legitimately raided to get their Tier 3, but I don't think being able to buy it off the BMAH devalues your set in any way. You still have your memories and hopefully screenshots to remember your wipes and kills by. I respect that 100%, and I admire you for being a pack-rat like me and keeping your tier!

I really didn't always play fair with the bidding either. I was outbid a good bit of the time, but then an Ally mage made a mistake by showing me how bad they wanted a few pieces, so I made them pay quite a bit more than what it usually goes for on my server. I ended up purposely bidding up pieces - it was great. If you want it that bad, you will pay the higher price.

Here is my journey to getting my Tier 3 and how much it has cost me, and how long it took to get there. *huge breath*

Frostfire Gloves - Bought on 3.30.13 for 10k
Frostfire Belt - Bought on 6.23.13 for 11k
Frostfire Sandals - Bought on 7.22.13 for 10k
Frostfire Shoulderpads - Bought on 8.24.13 for 30k
Frostfire Circlet - Bought on 8.31.13 for 30k
Frostfire Bindings - Bought 10.5.13 for 10k
Frostfire Leggings - Bought 10.14.13 for 10k
Frostfire Robe - Bought 12.25.13 for 50k

TOTAL: 161k

If you want a similar look without having to break your bank, you can always opt for collecting the Heroes' Frostfire Garb from the 10 man Naxx raid, or the Valorous Frostfire Garb from the 25 man Naxx raid. Both are very pretty, and I wore the brown set for quite a long time.

So after 9 months of collecting, I really have nothing else to say about it except that I am extremely happy with my purchase and the last piece couldn't have come at a better time! I will definitely be wearing this transmog for a LOOOONG time to come!

Anzu the Raven God

So tonight Blizzard showed us a preview of an upcoming mount. We have no idea where it will come from yet, but I do know that it looks amazing. On twitter I was a bit skeptical about it being the Warlords of Draenor Collectors Edition mount, and I was thinking it may be for Scroll of Resurrection or even another Annual Pass. However, after giving it some more thought and looking at the mount, it may indeed be for the CE. I decided I think back to Outlands, Arakkoa, and the Raven Lord Anzu.

"A mysterious avian deity worshiped by some of the more savage Arakkoa, Anzu is a being whose origins and powers are unlike any other member of Outland's fallen pantheon. The Naaru are silent regarding this malevolent creature, for Anzu's ways are hidden from even them."

Let's travel to Sethekk Halls where Anzu is located. The Arakkoa that have taken refuge there are known as the Sethekk cult and are led by the Talon King Ikiss. Their cult believes that they are the only true Arakkoa and servants to their "Master" - an old god. They took refuge in the Sethekk Halls after the destruction of Auchindoun, viewing it as their master's second coming. Here they remain and search for him in the ruins.

What about the raven... There is a lot of scattered lore on Anzu following the Epic Druid Flight Form quest line. The quest line was removed in Cataclysm and is no longer available. You can read the entire thing here.

During the quest line, you are tasked with waking Clintar Dreamwalker from the Emerald Dream to gather some relics. Upon his slight awakening and a few exchanges, he talks of being followed and it could lead to his death. He also talks of a shadowy and sinister presence that has invaded the Dream and wants to spill over into the world. His spirit helps you collect the three relics needed, but you are interrupted by the Aspect of the Raven. 

I made this screenshot based off the only one of the poor dead raven.

"Foolish druid! Dividing your essence has weakened you, opening the door for my master to dominate the Emerald Dream. Your spirit and body will die here!"

You are forced to defeat the aspect and continue on with your journey. After bringing the relics back to Morthis Whisperwing, he is disturbed at the Raven Aspect in the Barrow Dens. The next quest leads you back to Outlands in search of the Book of the Raven. You have to search for the spirit of Sai'kkal the Elder a priest who worshiped Anzu. He reveals that the book was stolen and the tablet was shattered by the Skettis cult and buried around their city. Despite being outcast by his fellow Arakkoa, he still remains faithful to the raven.

"From the dreams of his enemies shall the raven spring forth into the world."

The quest then takes you to find Raven Stones to piece back together the Book of the Raven. Arthorn Windsong is able to put the book back together. She briefly tells of the contents of the book:

"It's all here... how the raven's followers captured and subdued the spirits of rivals, trapping them forever within stone statues! The tablet even mentions the raven god's name -- Anzu. I'd thought it was lost to history! There's something else here, too. After a description of a bloody battle and the downfall of the raven, there's a prophecy. Anzu will haunt the dreams of his enemies, twisting them to affect a return to this world..."

You then travel to the shrines to capture the essence of the eagle, falcon, and hawk. The essences are combined with a Moonstone from Azshara, and you are tasked to defeat Anzu. After the defeat, the druid was given their epic flight form, and were able to keep the item to summon Anzu again. The quest states:

Your defeat of Anzu, the raven god, is truly a remarkable accomplishment. He may not abandon his quest to return to Outland, I fear. As long as he has followers here, he will attempt to rise again. Keep the essence-infused moonstone with you in case we have not heard the last of Anzu.

Reading through the entire quest line, throws me back onto the topic of Old Gods. I'm thinking, much like Sara is an avatar to Yogg-Saron, Anzu may be an avatar himself. I engaged him into battle and this is what he taunted me with:

I'm not sure a raven should be whispering to me, but I do know that Old Gods like to. Now this is all just speculation, and I always like to go off on an Old God theory when I can. For all I know this could be another mount just tossed into the Blizzard store as an updated Reins of the Raven Lord. It does seem like Anzu is extremely powerful and despite the quest line, we still don't know much more about him. I'm hoping since the Arakkoa will have a huge part in WoD, his story will be explained a little more. For now, it's always fun to speculate and see how close you can get to connecting the dots. Where do you think this mount will fit into?

Now I leave you with the Prophecy of the Raven God:

"From the darkest night shall rise again the raven, shall take flight in the shadows, shall reveal the nature of its kind. Prepare yourself for its coming, for the faithful shall be elevated to take flight with the raven, the rest be forgotten to walk upon the ground, clipped wings and shame.

Steel your minds and guard your thoughts. The dark wings will cloud and consume the minds of the weak, a flock of thralls whose feet may never leave the ground.

The old blood will flow once again with the coming of the raven, the return of the darkness in the skies. Scarlet night, and the rise of the old.

The raven was struck down once for flying too high, unready. The eons have prepared the Dark Watcher for its ascent, to draw the dark cloak across the horizon."

Blog Azeroth: Mountable Mounts

I guess it's a good time to participate in a Blog Azeroth topic again. They have a few good ones over on the forum. I want to do a few others, but this one stood out to me first after looking over the list.

"So, what are your top 5 mounts - or just the ones you go to all the time because you like the way they ride? What are the ones you really dislike and can never bring yourself to use - does it rub against your collecting nature (if you have one) to buy all the mounts even though you know you will never use them?"

I decided not to talk about the ones I really dislike because honestly, there isn't really any. I'm the kind of person that thinks certain mounts can be used for certain occasions. For example, you will rarely see me riding any wolf mount, but I will definitely be riding them for Warlords of Draenor. Instead i decided to focus on my all time favorites so far (ones that I own), and my wishlist (ones I wished to own). Enjoy!

Representing the Frostwolf Clan!

Instant Level 90s!

First let me start off by saying that I'm simply stating my opinions on the matter. No need to attack or get upset about it. That being said, unless you've been living under a rock, you have probably heard about the Blizzard survey that has gone around pertaining to buying level 90 characters. My boyfriend, Pigletoos, actually got the survey to complete and didn't take any screenshots, but he did come in the room to discuss it with me. Recently on Twitter I've been seeing the question come up about, "How do you feel about having an instant level 90 in WoD?" and more importantly, "How do you feel about being able to purchase a level 90 character?".

Let's travel back to Blizzcon 2013 when Warlords of Draenor was announced along with this feature - The ability to boost one character to level 90 and play immediately. I can see a ton of people who quit in previous expansions wanting to come back and easily be able to experience relevant content again without feeling ridiculously behind everyone else. I also think this is great because someone like me, who already has a ton of alts, can level up a character instantly to 90 without having to go through the entire questing experience again. Let's face it, while I don't mind questing, the 5th or 6th time doing it gets a little repetitive and quite boring. In fact, I already have a Shaman saved that I think I will be using as my one free instant level 90! I just can't figure out if I want her as a Dwarf or an Orc.

Survey Screenshot from Polygon.

Now on to the more controversial matter - buying an instant level 90. Should this even be implemented and how much should it cost? The answer for me is, sure, let people buy level 90s. Chances are the people who are going to be purchasing this option want to be max level and get geared to raid or PvP as fast as possible because that's what they enjoy doing in game. There is nothing wrong with that. There is also nothing wrong with wanting to level up your character the old fashion was either. I don't understand the complaining about putting a feature like this in the store... it doesn't affect the original way of leveling up, and it's not needed to play the game. Remember when Blizzard put those cosmetic helms in the store and people flipped out? I do, and I don't think anything really has changed due to that.

Now I know I can't compare cosmetic helms to instantly leveled characters, and the biggest complaint is always this - You learn to play your character through leveling up! If someone buys a max level character, they will be running around not knowing how to play because they didn't level up! This statement right here makes me cringe. Personally from running LFR, questing, and just watching people out in the world, I can tell you... people have already made it to max level and STILL have no idea what they are doing. I will always argue this because I feel that you don't truly learn how to play your character until max level anyway. Sure you can learn what certain moves do, and what moves you should use in special situations, but I don't think any of this truly becomes relevant until you are max level and on an equal level content zone. You can argue this with me, but I am not budging on that issue.

With the addition of Proving Grounds, Blizzard has already taken the step to get people to become more comfortable with playing a new spec or maybe dusting off that alt to make it their new main. When the Timeless Isle was introduced, I respecced Velgana to Frost. I've never played it before, but using Proving Grounds to try things out really helped me. I can't remember if I read it somewhere, or it was just a suggestion, but I think throwing in a repeatable scenario for the instant level 90s to complete would be a good thing. In fact, make it available for everyone, because we can all use a little practice! This could help players get familiar with new moves/new specs or whatever else they want to experiment with.

Time is money, friend!

Now, how much should this feature cost? I really have no idea. I would say maybe $20-$30. I'm guessing the best way to go about this would be to see what is the average amount of time it takes for someone to normally get to max level. I know with heirlooms, chain running dungeons while questing, and all the guild/holiday perks, the time is definitely significantly reduced. I guess when it comes down to it, Blizzard will charge whatever they feel like for this service. Hopefully for people who actually want to use this, it isn't bank breaking. Is it a feature I would use? Probably not, unless I wanted a duplicate class that I already have on the same server. I don't see that happening though. I would save my money and use it on mini pets, mounts, or cosmetic items from the store.

Regardless if you like this feature or dislike it, it's probably going to happen, and we're just going to have to get used to it. I don't see myself quitting the game over something this trivial and silly though. It won't effect my game play and experience and to me, that's all that matters.

Blog Azeroth: Oaths

Blog Azeroth seems to have come to life again with the beginning of the new year. I have other posts planned out, but some of these are so good that I may be posting twice a week! I wasn't going to participate in this one, but after thinking it over I decided it would make a good continuation to my RP Intro I did a while back. I hope you enjoy it!

"What vows would your character say, intend, or break, and to what allegiance? Would it be to class/race/specialization, deity, or ruler?"

Velgana followed a small group of undead into the huge city. She was never able to witness the mighty city during its time of glory, but even in its current state, Lordaeron was an amazing site. They walked past the courtyard and into the throne room, going deeper and deeper into the bowels of what was once a great city. She was shocked at the amount of people that were now inhabiting every dark corner of the catacombs. They were all the same... all like her... all stuck between life and death.

Before she knew it, they came to a huge room which was dimly lit with lights all around. In the middle was a raised section where this woman stood surrounded by guards and Banshees. She quickly motioned to the guards who hastily left the group alone with her. She walked down the steps and analyzed the small group. Velgana could feel her throat in a knot... this was The Dark Lady, The Queen of the Forsaken... Lady Sylvanas - The Banshee Queen. She began, and her voice echoed throughout the halls:

"Children of the Grave, heed my call! In life, we suffered unspeakable tragedies. We've watched, as our homes were razed to the ground! We cried out in agony, as our families were cut down before our eyes. Finally, in the face of such atrocities, we were denied even the release of death!"

Velgana could feel the fight she had left burning deep inside of her. She listened as the rest of the group did, never taking her eyes off the Queen. The Lady continued:

"We are not monsters! We are not the mindless wretches of a ghoul army! NO! We are a force even more terrifying! We are the chill in a coward's spine! We are the instruments of an unyielding ire! WE ARE THE FORSAKEN!"

Cheers followed as the guards walked by and handed each of them a tabard with the Forsaken crest on them. Everyone quickly put them on and kneeled before their Queen.

"Wear these with pride. Never forget where you came from, but remember, those who do not stand with the Forsaken stand against them, and those who stand against the Forsaken will not stand long."

Before the group knew it, The Dark Lady was gone from sight. It was from that point on that Velgana pledged her allegiance to the Banshee Queen. The Forsaken were her family now, and she would do anything to protect her family from harm.

Lady Sylvanas's speech is a modified version of the speech she gives during the lighting of the Wickerman during Hallow's End!

A New Year!

I am back! While I did enjoy my break away from blogging and the holidays, I am sure glad both are over. I have so many exciting things to talk about, a few Blog Azeroth topics I want to write about, and a few posts that have been in the making for a looooong time that I need to finish up.

First I wanted to talk about some new goodies I managed to gather up over the holidays. I added a Rascal Bot and Blackfuse Bombling to my collection. I also ended up winning the mini pet competition that Erinys over at Harpy's Nest was hosting. For my prize I was able to pick a mini pet so I told her either the Brew Pup or Lil' XT would do. She definitely surprised me with the Enchanted Fey Dragon and Brew Pup! I was thrilled because I never really buy the store mounts. This was definitely one of the best gifts I could have ever received!

My boyfriend also bought me Lil' XT before the sale was over since it was the last store mini pet (except for the Gryphon w/ plush) that I'm missing. My collection feels really wonderful... I just need to spend more time leveling them up now!

I also was able to finally finish my Tier 3 on Christmas night! How exciting! I would love to talk more about that, but I have a post dedicated to how much and how long it took me to get there. expect that coming up in the next week or so.

Finally, I figured that a new year meant that I should probably change up my blog a little bit. I decided to do new colors and a new banner image. Nothing crazy, but I think it definitely suits the silly little images I make. You can see a few more of them if you follow me on Twitter.

Anyway, Happy New Year to everyone! Hopefully 2014 will definitely give me some interesting things to blog about. Vel needs some more adventures!

Using the Cross Realm Raid Broswer

I will be the first to admit that I always struggle when it comes to new things being implemented in WoW. I finally used Blizzard's cross realm raid browser for the first time this week. I was pretty impressed by it. My server is going through quite a dead time right now, so it's hard to find a group for Celestials. Using this tool, I was not only able to find a group, but we were done with the kill in less that 3 minutes.

Someone asked me how to use the tool on Twitter. I like to be detailed with it, so I decided to type up a quick guide with some visuals. I hope it helps a few people out there who were confused to how it works.

Holiday Spirit

This is going to be my last blog post for this year! I cannot believe it, but we've all made it through yet another year. This year I took the steps throwing my blog out there and gaining more readers. Through the use of Twitter and sites like Blog Azeroth, Twisting Nether Wiki, and WarcraftPets, not only has my blog flourished, but I also made new friends!

In the midsts of all the chaos going on this week (my boyfriend's graduation and moving), I got a FB message from a WoW friend asking for some information, but I wasn't allowed to ask any questions as to why she needed it. I obliged, and went on my merry way of getting some housework done. When I logged on to Vel later that day, I was stunned and speechless. She gifted me two of the mini pets that I had been missing from my collection (Cinder Kitten and Blossoming Ancient)! Seriously, when I say it, I mean it... I have the BEST friends in WoW!

named Rain and Dark after my friends! 

That being said, I'm extremely excited for Winter Veil to start next week. While I don't think internet at our new place will be set up right away, I will still try to log on everyday to at least get a few things done. I figured it would just be easier to give myself and Velgana a break so we can both settle in and enjoy the holidays. I'll be planning out new content, and you can still catch me on Twitter and around Azeroth, but this blog is going /AFK until next year!

Thank you to all my readers and friends... Have a Happy Holidays! See you in 2014!

Blog Azeroth: Winter Solstice

Here is a new Blog Azeroth topic, and a really good one that can help me get some in game and real life emotions out.

"Instead of cursing the darkness, how do you light a candle in Azeroth and chase the occasional (winter) blues away?"

The holidays are always an exciting time for Velgana. WoW's 9th Anniversary mixed with Pilgrim's Bounty was great because I was able to get quite a few levels on some neglected alts. Winter Veil will be coming soon, and I love that holiday just as much as Hallow's End! One of my favorite things to do is log into WoW on Christmas morning and open Vel's presents in Orgrimmar. I love the feel of everyone opening gifts and laughing around me. It's just a nice feeling.

Checking my Winter Weil shopping list!

However, it's also the time of year that I seem to get discouraged from playing WoW. I guess it's the fact that my family has so many things going on around this time - shopping trips, dinners, general get togethers. I am always about spending time with my family than sitting down and playing any game. In fact, I'm quite unmotivated with the game right now. Not to mention, me and my boyfriend will be moving back closer to our hometown in a few weeks. He will be graduating on the 14th and has a job lined up after that. All of these things are a stressful thing for me!

I also have been feeling the "expansion blues" lately. My Timeless gear is pretty much all upgraded, and I haven't really had the motivation to even run LFR for my sword from General Nazgrim. You know what? I couldn't care less either. Instead, I've been going around and doing achievements I missed so I won't have to worry about them when WoD comes out. I've also been collecting mounts, transmog items, and leveling up all my mini pets to level 10. I still have archaeology to work on too for The Seat of Knowledge, but that will take me a good while.

5 pristine artifacts away... ugh, give me a break Blizz!

I started leveling up my mage on Madoran for the WarcraftPets guild. I've also gotten my Skywall death knight to level 85 and my warlock is making progress through Outlands. I've started Pandaria with my warrior, but I'm leveling her up with my boyfriend's mage. He's been really busy with his last college semester, so I haven't been bothering him to level.

So while I've been taking things pretty slow and casual in WoW and blogging, I know I will be back in full force next year and closer to the WoD release. In fact, I'm so excited about it, I wish I could hibernate through the rest of winter!

Bonus screenshot: Happy early Winter Veil to me! Glad I didn't get coal!

Competition Entry: Pets Mean Prizes

When Erinys over at Harpy's Nest decided to post a competition based around mini pets, I couldn't have been more excited. Here were the rules:

Pick one of the following
1. Store purchased pet
2. Pet available in game through pet battling
3. A creature which exists in game but isn’t yet a mini pet
and describe how you would make it available if you were a game designer. It could be through questing, through a random drop or from something else entirely. Your submission could be screenshot based, purely text or in iambic pentameter if that’s what floats your boat.

I am currently working on a mini pet wish list post, so this competition was perfect for me to throw in one of the mini pets I have been lusting after since the Timeless Isle was implemented... Reef Calf! While it doesn't currently exist as a mini pet in game, I definitely think it should.

Here is the back story:
I was playing around on the Timeless Isle just like any other day. I was either going pet battle against Little Tommy or do my Celestial Tournament weekly when I noticed this little reef calf named Allie sitting there looking adorable. I immediately tweeted about it and wondered if we would ever get to have a reef calf of our own!

Implementing it:

Back in WotLK there was a daily that would gain you reputation with the Kalu'ak called "The Way to His Heart...". 

During the quest you would have to catch some Tasty Reef Fish, feed the Reef Bull, and make him meet the Reef Cow. Love will blossom soon after! 

The reef cow and her new bull find true love!

Much like the daily quest in Cataclysm to get Pebble and the other daily quest to get the Mini Jouster you didn't pick on the initial quest, I think they could implement the Reef Calf by having you do the daily 10 times. 

After that, Anuniaq will send you a letter saying how happy he is that the Reef Cow population is now flourishing and as a token of his appreciation for what you did, here is your own sea calf to take care of!

A proud Reef Calf owner!